CRU 3 – Black Star ATX 4

Hoping to start climbing back up the table, Cameron Road fought a hard battle early Sunday morning against a difficult Black Star ATX team but managed to come up just short at the end of the day. The final score read Cameron Road United 3, Black Star ATX 4, and as the score suggested, this one was a thriller to the very end with each team trading punches and swapping momentum until the final whistle. 

For some reason, we’re still having problems fielding an entire warmed-up squad by the start of a game. The starting lineup consisted of a solid back line of Billy, Cuyler, Bob and Crosley, while Vestre, BT, Dermot and Chappy rounded out the midfield with Willis and McKenna patrolling the front line. Late comers Luke and David provided the early relief on the sidelines. Still not the 14-16 man squad we’re hoping to see on a regular basis, but two subs is a luxury that we haven’t had in a while. 

The game started off crisply, but the dewy field made for some slick and soggy passes and some difficulty controlling the ball. Both teams pinged it around, while Cameron Road seemed to have fired off the best of the opening salvos.

After 15 minutes the game was stopped when Dermot collided in the air for a 50-50 header with an opponent that left him a bit dazed, but the opponent’s head covered in blood. Thankfully he walked off OK(presumably to the hospital), but again, Dermot’s fiestyness in the middle of the park would send out a message that Cameron Road was here to fight for every ball.

After that incident, your constant reporter is kind of blanking out on the details of the early first half, so I apologize if there was a moment of greatness that you produced that I can’t remember… but as is our custom, we were again plagued by giving away the early goal. About midway through the first half Black Star struck first blood, and then shortly after struck again for a 2 goal advantage. 

Knowing how the first three games of the season have been going, many of the hundreds of fans on the sidelines started to pack up their stadium chairs, put the lids back on their thermoses and told their husbands to warm up the cars as they headed for the exits thinking the game was all but lost for their beloved Cameron Roaders, but then something happened – Steve McKenna produced a spark for the boys in red by receiving a pass in the box and unleashing an unstoppable shot to the far post. CRU were back in the game and the fans were again firmly planted in their seats. Turns out, they were going to get their money’s worth.

Going into the half time, Cameron Road’s spirits were boosted by Steve’s goal and the knowledge that we were back in the game. And riding that momentum, we almost tied it up at 2 a piece with the first attack of the 2nd half when Luke blasted a volley into the side netting from 1 yard out. Another attack saw Billy (in full William Wallace blue war paint) dance down the center of the box and unleash both a daunting shot just wide and an expletive verbal volley that had children as far away as field 1 covering their ears in horror.

As we stormed the Black Star goal, looking for the second, I went down with a hyperextended knee, but luckily Steve Crosley’s parents stitched me back up on the sidelines and sent me back on the field 10 minutes later with a patchwork knee brace made up from spare bucket lids and duct tape. Unfortunately, Cameron Road went down another goal when a dude in board shorts masquerading as a soccer player juked and jived his way into the back of the net. 

At 3-1 down and running out of time, things looked dire. But two quick Cameron Road goals insured that this would be a fight to the finish. First up was BT. He performed some magic around the right side of the box and sent in a shot from a tight angle to send a message that we were not out of the game. And then the big fella, Cuyler (the Ostrich, really?), came steamrolling down the center of the pitch with a cloud of dust in his wake and let loose a ferocious shot which tied the game. 

Black Star was stunned, and we were on our way to the first points of the season, and who knew, possibly a win. 

Unfortunately, Black Star got a free kick at the end of the game and somehow managed to drive it over the wall and into the back of the net for their go-ahead fourth goal. Fight as we did, we just ran out of time to get another one back and ended up losing 3-4.

Although everyone was disappointed with the result, it was by far our best game of the season and we now know that we can score some goals when we put it all together. 

Man-of-the-Match: Gotta give this one to “Stevie G” McKenna, who’s first half goal ignited us and who’s hustle and passing did not go unnoticed. And to top it off, his beloved Liverpool trounced Man United. Cheers.